December 31st

A.B. Bowen and his grandson Ryan are pictured here showing off some of the redfish they caught with me on New Years Eve. The wind was blowing hard but that didn't stop Ryan. He was the redfish king today. They drove all the way from Tupelo, Mississippi to fish the reds and spent the night before at Papa Joe's Lodge. Thanks A.B. I hope to fish with you again soon and bring that other grandson with you. He is old enough. Enjoy the fish.

December 20th & 21st

Ken Barnes and his son Alex from Indiana came to New Orleans to fish with Papa Joe for three days. Well we managed to get in two of those days prior to the bad weather getting here also. Day one was absolutely fabulous,
it could not have been more perfect. It was a little cold but being from Indiana this time of year, it didn't phase them. We caught and released over 60 redfish. Day two, it warned up, but the damage had already been done. We only caught ten fish, with strong winds and muddy water it was a tough day, but we hung in there and kept a few to eat at Jan's Cajun Restaurant. Now that's a great meal, and we left very full. Day three canceled due to bad weather. Ken and Alex are accomplished fishermen and it was certainly a pleasure fishing with them. Here are a few pictures, as you can see the jackets are on for Monday and off for Tuesday. Thanks guys, I hope to fish with you again soon.

November 26th

What a terrific day. Three generations of the Guy Favaloro family caught fish with Papa Joe today. Guy Sr. his three sons and grandson Jeffery are shown here with their fish. The wind was a little high but otherwise the weather was just right. 56 trout and a couple of reds made for a nice mess of fish. You guessed it, Jeffery caught the big red. Every one had a great time. Thanks folks, come see us again soon.

November 23rd

Kevin and Kameron Reinke along with Bobby and his son Ryan hammered the fish with Papa Joe today. As you can see from these pictures Kameron had the biggest trout and red. Two more big reds got away. The first one took all the line off the spool and the second found the motor. However every one put their share of fish in the boat and had a terrific time. It's really fun watching the youngsters catch fish and we did a lot of that today. Thanks guys and we hope to see you all again real soon.

November 23rd

Richard Smith and John MacDougall are pictured here showing off their first 3 fish of the day. I took the picture early because they fished with Capt. Bobby and we crossed paths early. Richard and John are from California. They caught a huge red along with more trout later in the day. Thanks for fishing with us, and we hope to see you again.

November 19th & 20th

Donald Bumpas, Jerry Abbott, Harrison Barr, and Wiley Kendrick from Memphis were sure glad they took advantage of Papa Joe's package fishing trip this weekend, even though the weather man predicted rainy weather. As usual, the weather man was dead wrong. Where do they get those weather people anyway? The weather and the fishing could not have been better, as you can see from these photos. This was a special trip for Wiley because it was his first fishing trip ever. That's him on all fours showing off their fish on day two. A trip to Jan's Cajun Restaurant plus jambalaya, and baked redfish with all the amenities at Papa Joe's lodge topped off the list of meals. They enjoyed the accommodations and Wiley even caught catfish from Papa Joe's dock. Thanks guys, come fish with us again real soon.

November 2nd

Some of St. Charles Parish finest had a fantastic time fishing with Papa Joe and E.J. today. The weather wasn't the greatest but we managed to skirt the rain and fish through the wind. As you can see from these pictures with the guys showing off some of the reds they caught along with another 50 trout and 10 bass. Leroy (left front) was the redfish king in my boat, and big John (in back holding reds in the air) was the best net man I ever had. I couldn't get the net away from him whenever anyone had a fish on. Barry Matherne is holding the largest red. Thanks guys come see us again real soon.

October 22nd & 23rd

Larry and Joe Bredewater, Mark and Kurt Duerstock, Harold Clark, Craig Koors, Jeremy Smart, and Floyd Robbins from Indiana took advantage of Papa Joe's 2 day fishing package. Here are a few pictures of some of the fish the caught, including Joe with his big red, Floyd with his first flounder, and Kurt with a couple of his first redfish. For some of the boys it was their first time fishing in Louisiana, and they had a great time. The first night they were surprised they could shine the gators' eyes from the back porch. It was certainly exciting for them. Thanks guys, I hope to fish with you again.

October 22nd

Matthew and Michael Isle, and Yayin Chiang from California, caught over 70 trout today while fishing with Captain Mike. They had a terrific time. I didn't get back in time to take pictures but they took some digital photos themselves and sent them in so we could add them to their report. Thanks for fishing with us and come back soon.

October 6th

Mike Barker, and Donald Falconer from Ontario Canada enjoyed a fantastic fishing trip today with Papa Joe. They stayed at Papa Joe's Lodge last night to be sure to get an early start in the morning. After some hot coffee and biscuits, they headed to Little Lake where Papa Joe caught fish last. Here are a few pictures of some of the reds they caught and released. They did however, keep a few trout to have fried, and sautéed for lunch at Jan's Cajun Restaurant. All in all a fine cajun experience. Thanks guys, hope to see you again soon.

October 4th

What a beautiful day at the office. Today I had the pleasure of fishing with Rusty Tardo. We caught his limit of specks and then managed a few reds for the grill. Here is Rusty holding a trout and red while the others rested in the ice chest. Lunch at Jan's Cajun restaurant was fantastic and as usual we ate too much.

October 1st & 2nd

Here are some photos of the gang from Cleveland, Ga. We had 27 people for 2 days, seven boats filled two 64 quart ice chests with fillets of fish. We topped off the trip with some of the best eating in the country, like a BIG fish dinner at Jan's and a shrimp boil at the Marina. The guides had as much fun as the fisherman. A couple of the folks caught their first fish ever, and were amazed at the marshes of South Louisiana. Thanks guys we hope to see you all again.

September 30th

Today I got to fish with some old buddies from the past. Bob Hardison, George Moran, and Bill Plumstead, with his son Bill. Even though we got off to a late start, we managed to catch these redfish along with some speckled trout We finished the day off with a fantastic lunch at Jan's Cajun Restaurant. It was really a treat to see you guys again, especially under these circumstances. Lets do it again.

September 25th & 26th

Derrick and Brandon Griffin, along with David Colley and Dwight Dexter enjoyed a fantastic weekend of fishing when they took advantage of Papa Joe's 2-Day Package. Not only can they fish, but they can eat. And they proved that both nights with pork chops Louisiana style the first night and Jambalaya the second. Here are a couple of photos with some of the fish they caught both days. Thanks guys, hope to see you again next year.

September 25th

Chuck and Jason McClelland, with Ryan Jaunal, had a fantastic day on the water. Look at these smiles and some of the fish they caught. The big one on the right is 10.5 lbs. The water was up pretty high from the storm (Erin) so they were able to get to places not normally fished. Thanks guys, hope to see you again soon.

September 4th

Kimberly Jenkins and her husband had a great experience on the bayou today. They enjoyed the fishing as well as the weather and sights of the south Louisiana marshlands. Here are photos of a couple of the fish they caught. They had never been fishing like this before but would like to do it again someday. Thanks folks, see you next time.

August 28th

The proof is in! Here are the pictures of the Joe Casanova (Conam) redfish trip. Joe, Barry, Joe, Mike and Colt caught these redfish on spinner baits and plastic today. They spent Friday night at the lodge so we could get an early start, always an advantage especially this time of year because of the heat. Colt is pictured with the largest fish of the day, he has a lot of fish to be proud of there. Thanks guys -  it was my pleasure to take you fishing. Come see us again real soon.

August 22nd

Raquel Burgmeier, her brother John, and Dan Mazza from New Jersey are pictured here with fish they caught today with Papa Joe. It was a slow day but that did not stop them from having a great time. Raquel is attending Loyola here in New Orleans, while John and Dan will be reporting to the Army soon. Thanks for fishing with me and we hope to see you again soon.

August 21st

Terry Johnson and Bryan Urbuteit caught these fish and more while fishing with Papa Joe today. These guys were good fisherman, had a fantastic time, and eat some of their fish at Jan's after the trip. Thanks guys, hope to see you again soon. Good luck with the clean-up over there in Florida.

August 19th

These fish were caught and released today. Bobby and I tried to fish as many places as we could in one day. We made a lot of stops and if we caught a fish we had to move. This technique keeps us from getting locked in to one or two locations. Today we covered 64 miles and fished 12 places, in 3.5 hours. Thats 17.5 minutes a spot including travel time. We caught 11 fish between us, almost 1 per spot. What a fun day.

August 4th & 5th

I just spent two days fishing with Larry and Schatzie from the large state of Texas. It was a fantastic two days because first, we caught fish and second, these two are great people and a lot of fun to fish with. The first day we nailed the trout. We caught over 100 and kept 36. For a while there they were hitting every cast no matter where you threw the line. On the second day we stalked the bull reds (30 to 40 lbs) with no luck. Then Schatzie hooked up on this 35 lb black drum. What a great birthday present for her. They were very happy with Papa Joe's overnight accommodations, and had a good time. Here are some photos.

July 17th

CONGRATULATIONS! Jason Patrinos from Naperville, Illinois and the other 13 members of his bachelor party that fished with Papa Joe's Cajun Wetlands Guide Service today. Our transportation service picked them up Downtown at 7am and they all made the bus in good shape after a night in the French Quarter. The fishing was pretty slow in the middle of the day, but the money was split between "Big Fish" and "Most Fish." Then it was off to Jan's Restaurant were everyone had a fantastic lunch with the fish they caught and back downtown for one more night before returning to Illinois Sunday evening. Boy, I bet they were tired Sunday night. Here is a photo of a few of the guys with a couple of the fish they caught. Thanks Jason, We wish you and your bride all the best, and if you come back to New Orleans we hope you will look us up.

July 16th

Here is a photo of Joshua Johnson and Johnny Burkett showing off a few of the fish they caught today with Papa Joe. Again today the bite was slow but steady. They had a lot of strikes early on top water baits but soon went to the spinners to put some fish in the boat. They could see fish the whole day but the trick was to be their early, and that was not a problem since they spent the night before the trip at Papa Joe's Lodge. Thanks guys, we hope to fish with you again reel soon.

July 15th

Steve McNeel and Pierce Granstrom spent a hot day on the water with Papa Joe today. Even with the temperature index at 105 degrees they caught these fish and more. The action was not fast but it sure was constant, and the reds fought as good as ever. We did keep 4 to eat, but the rest were released to fight again. Thanks guys, come back when you can. Papa Joe and the reds will be ready.

July 12th

Another great opportunity taken away by the weather. After three solid weeks of limiting out on Redfish, today a high pressure with north west winds in the AM and a huge thunderstorm with gusty winds rained on the TV show. It should air on Cox 37 Saturday morning at 8:30 AM but we didn't catch enough fish to make the entire show. We  struggled the whole day and only managed a couple of fish. I'm so disappointed I could cry. However, I won't because there is no time. Tomorrow I have to get back on that horse and ride. The system that messed them up is gone so I'm positive they will return. By the way, the cooking segment of the show was a blast and K.D.'s Redfish Coubion was terrific. Here is Chef KD and Chuck Bush holding a couple of the few fish we caught.

July 11th

Big redfish schooling along the banks were the target for today's trip in preparation for the filming of a TV show with Chef KD tomorrow. After today, I'm anticipating a great show because we nailed some good fish today. Here are a couple of photos of my son Mike with some of the fish he caught, and my youngest grand daughter getting very close to touch a fish.You can see the difference in the color of the reds depending on where they were caught. Of course, Mike will be taking some good fillets back to Ft. Lauderdale for his family to enjoy. We'll let you know how the TV show works out.

June 27th

Its a good thing Evelyn and Steve from Ft. Myers Florida are accomplished fisherman because it was tough today catching these fish. By the smiles on their faces you can see that despite the slow bite, and a few lost fish, (not their fault) they didn't give up, and had a good time. Thanks for fishing with me and we hope to see you again soon.

June 26th

Here is a photo of Capt. Tony, with Travis Franks and his dad Scotty showing off the fish they caught today. No doubt about it, the guys had to work for every fish, it was not the typical easy come day we all wanted. However unlike us in the previous report, they made it back before the rain. Travis and Scotty took advantage of the accommodations at Papa Joe's the evening before to eliminate that early morning ride and catch an extra hour sleep. Thanks for fishing with us, and we hope you enjoy eating the fish as much as catching them.

June 26th

Mark Nicotera and Andrew Cotter spent a good day on the water fishing with Papa Joe. All the reds they caught were released but we managed to get these pictures, and very wet right at the end of the trip. A thunder storm caught us just 5 minutes from the launch. Sorry we didn't quit 5 minutes sooner guys, but we did catch the last fish in those last minutes. Thanks and we hope to fish with you again soon.

June 24th

Leo McLean, his sons Michael, Christopher, and Leo Jr. Jason Simmons, Clay Watson, David and Henry Littlejohn, are pictured here with some of the fish they caught while fishing with Papa Joe during their Bachelor party. Some of the guys took advantage of the waterfront accommodations the night before, and everyone eat at Jan's after the trip. They had a fantastic time. Thanks guys we hope to fish with you again.

June 22nd

Here is a photo of Chris and Jason from Marsh and Bayou Magazine. We had a great trip today keeping enough to eat and releasing the rest to fight another day. Fishing was good, beat the rain, wonderful lunch at Jan's Cajun Restaurant. It just doesn't get any better. Look at next months Marsh and Bayou for the complete story.

June 11th

Howard Dyal and his friend caught this fish among others while fishing with Papa Joe today. All the reds were caught on spinner baits which certainly adds to the fun and excitement. The dinner later at Jan's Cajun Restaurant with the reds sautéed was as good as it gets. Thanks Howard, come see us again soon.

June 9th

Alfred Manz and his brother-in-law Vince Cruz fished with me today a caught a limit of Redfish. Here they are showing off a few of the large reds. They used Papa Joe's Redfish recipe and let me know how good they tasted. The weather was just perfect, and we had a fantastic time. Thanks guys, come back and see us again soon. Vince, good luck with your club tournament this weekend.

June 6th

Guy Favaloro, Robert McCormick, Walter Brown, and Frank House caught these redfish and more on spinner-baits while fishing with Papa Joe today. They spent the night at the camp after a great dinner at Jan's Cajun Restaurant, and we were off to a very early but shaky start. We lost 4 of the first 6 fish, some were really fighting. Once we settled down the catch ratio got much better, and everyone had a great time.

June 2nd

While visiting family in Orlando I took my grandson, Thomas, fishing for perch. Here is a photo of him with the first of 6 he caught before eating, drinking, playing with the anchor rope, etc. Then my son Tom and I stepped up and managed to catch enough for dinner before my grandson demanded we go home. It was a fine trip for all and Thomas is already asking when can we go again.

May 25th

Robert Coon from N.C. returned with his buddies George Pendergraph, and Don Grubbs to fish reds with Papa Joe. George started us off with the first fish, but the others didn't take long getting into the act. All the fish were released to fight another day so we couldn't get a group picture. Here are some individual photos of the guys with their fish, and no, its not the same one. Thanks Robert. I hope everyone enjoyed the fishing trip and the rest of your stay in New Orleans.

May 23rd

Tom and Rita Mintmier, and Robert Coon from N.C. hooked up with Papa Joe today. The fishing was tough, but they still managed 12 reds, a bass, and a flounder. The high winds did not stop Rita from catching her share, including her first and the biggest of the day. Here are a couple of pictures. For some reason fish stories, more-so than any others, need proof. So we always print the proof. Thanks guys, I enjoyed taking you fishing. Tell Wild Bill hello for me when you see him.

May 22nd

As you can see from this picture, Daniel Dixon, his wife, and three good friends spent the day fishing with Papa Joe and caught their limit of reds. Daniel only wanted 1 fish. Well, he got the one he wanted and more. Everyone had a good time, got a little sun, plenty of fresh air, (it was pretty windy) and a big fish fry when they got home. Thanks folks, see you on your next trip.

May 14th & 15th

Winston Cook, Donald Byrd, Stephen Yother, Ulysses Cain, Russell Stephens, and Brett Sadler came all the way from Georgia to fish with Papa Joe for two days. Nothing could stop these guys from catching fish. We had high winds on day one and heavy rain on day two and still managed to catch limits of reds both days. Here are a couple of photos from both days where the guys show off a few of those big reds. They really liked the two day package deal that Papa Joe offers. See you guys again in the fall. Enjoy the fish.

May 15th

Fishing for bachelor parties is becoming very popular and are always a lot of fun. Eric Bowers and the party he brought had a great time both in New Orleans and fishing with Captains Parker and Tony. Here are a couple of pictures. They kept enough fish to eat at Jan's Cajun Restaurant, always a great place to eat your catch. Thanks Eric, come see us again soon.

May 8th

Tamara caught her biggest fish ever while fishing with David Lamiquiz and Capt. Allen today. They had a great time and the proof is in this picture. They also caught another red and about 20 trout. David is a B-52 pilot stationed in Shreveport and about to ship out for a 4 month tour of duty. Good luck David, call us when you return.

May 8th

Guy Favaloro, his dad Guy, Pete, and Bob fished with Papa Joe today and caught speckled trout and this drum caught by Bob the Drum Specialist. The hat is a nice touch, don't you think? They all had a good time, as is usual with these guys, and took home plenty of fish to eat. Guy, we look forward to seeing you again in June. Enjoy the fish.

May 7th

Tim Britt fished with me last year and originally booked this trip as a present to his father-in-law. But his father-in-law got sick the night before so his buddy William Day came along instead. Although the bite was on the slow side, we caught speckled trout on and off all morning and kept enough to feed 4 of us at Jan's Cajun Restaurant. Van, the van driver, joined us for lunch. Boy were those trout good. Sorry we don't have pictures, some days I just slip-up. Thanks guys, come see us again.

May 2nd, 3rd, 5th, & 6th

Jerry Finkle brought a big crew with him to stay 6 nights, fish 4 days, and eat New Orleans food. With Jerry were Barry Finkle and his son Barry, Nick Gatzios, Joe Smolen, Mat Finkle, John Ramelli, and Jeffrey Smolen, Some are pictured here with some of their fish. They didn't keep any fish so we missed out on a few pictures. The weather was a factor during the 1st 2 days with high winds and dirty water. The second 2 days were absolutely beautiful. As you can see by the photos they caught trout, reds, and some large drum.

May 1st

George Fairbanks and the crew pictured here fished with Papa Joe for the AWS Fishing Tournament. They didn't win any big prizes, but they caught some beautiful Red Fish and had a good time. Thanks George.

April 24th & 25th

Larry Hulsey, Ed Dorsey, Dean Justice, Ken Pruitt, Brandon Hulsey, Dwayne Hester, Wayne Mooney, and Horace Hester spent the weekend fishing with Papa Joe on his 2-day package deal. Fishing was tough because the wind blew over 20 mph the whole time they were here. Pictured here are some of the guys with some fish they caught. The company, food, and accommodations were all first class. Thanks guys see you again this fall.

April 23rd

When Debbie McGuire booked this trip for Sandi and Gary Todd, and her husband Zack, she had no idea she would be looking at these pictures on the internet. Debbie we missed you, but Sandi had a good enough time for the both of you. I really enjoyed watching her catch her first redfish ever. And then after Zack and Gary pulled in back to back 35 lb Drum she was reluctant to try to reel one in. After we talked her into it she caught the largest one of all a hair over 40 lbs. Thanks for booking with me, you must do it again and this time come along. I hope the fish made it home ok, and you enjoy eating them.

April 19th & 20th

BIG REDS, BIG REDS, BIG REDS, could sum up our trip the past two days with David Young and his buddies Hal Markhan, Joe and John Fraiser, and Ron Estes. Here are some photos of the guys and some of their catch. The bull reds were all released in good condition after giving everyone a long and tiring fight.